NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk State Director of Athletics Dr. Melody Webb and head girls’s basketball coach Jermaine Woods have reached an settlement for a home-and-home collection with nationally ranked Duke, bringing a significant HBCU matchup to life over the subsequent two seasons.
The Spartans will journey to Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium on Nov. 12, 2025. The next season, the Blue Devils will make their first-ever go to to Echols Corridor. Tipoff occasions for each video games will probably be introduced later.
“It is a landmark second for our girls’s basketball program and our college,” Webb stated. “Internet hosting a nationally ranked staff like Duke highlights our dedication to elevating the profile of Norfolk State Athletics. It additionally offers our student-athletes and followers with an opportunity to expertise top-tier competitors on our campus.”
The 2 packages have met solely as soon as earlier than. In 2002, Duke defeated Norfolk State 95-48 within the NCAA Match’s first spherical, shortly after NSU gained its first MEAC Match Championship.
The 2026 go to by Duke would be the first time an Atlantic Coast Convention (ACC) opponent performs at Norfolk State, marking a historic milestone for the HBCU. The Blue Devils completed final season 29-8 and reached the Elite Eight, ending the yr ranked No. 7 nationally.
“I respect Coach Kara Lawson’s willingness to arrange this collection,” Woods stated. “Collaborations like this assist HBCUs achieve nationwide visibility. Her return to Norfolk will profit our program, college, and the neighborhood.”
Norfolk State enters the 2025-26 season after profitable its third consecutive MEAC Match title and incomes a No. 13 seed within the NCAA Match — this system’s highest seeding so far.
For extra info on Norfolk State Athletics, observe @nsuspartans on X, @NSUAthletics on Instagram and YouTube, and go to nsuspartans.com.
